Rune Factory: A Fantasy High School
by AckermenDuo
Summary: Frey just wants to be an ordinary high schooler...is that too much to ask? She hopes to fit in with the new year and hopefully meet some new people and make some friends. But with Lest growing more distant from her, friends with bad issues, an ex boyfriend and a cute childhood friend, will her life EVER be normal? Meanwhile, a certain upperclassman tries to win his lost love back.
1. Chapter 1

I shuffle down the overly-crowded hallway as fast as I can, trying not to draw attention to myself.

I eagerly scan the mass of people, searching for my twin brother, Lest, but he is nowhere to be seen. I sigh and push my big, thick-framed glasses up the bridge of my nose for the tenth time today. I wonder if anyone recognizes me...probably not. _I_ can hardly recognize anyone myself. I clutch my books to my chest and push my way down to the locker room, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

My heart is thumping in my chest. Is it normal to be this nervous on your first day of sophmore highschool? I finally reach the locker room. I collapse up against my new locker with a big sigh. I self-consciously reach back and tighten my scrunched-up ponytail, then suddenly I see my best friend, Margaret, rushing over to me. I recognize her from her pointy elf ears and big blue eyes. She tackles me in a giant bear hug.

"Frey!" She squeals, squeezing me tightly. "I haven't seen you all summer! You look sooo different!" She pulls me back so she can take a good look at me. I suck in a few breaths of air, then I smile at her.

"Yeah, you look great Meg." And it's true. Margaret is natrually beautiful. She has gorgeous, shiny gold hair that reaches her waist, ivory skin, and as I mentioned before, big ocean-blue eyes. Today she's wearing a purple blazer with a blue skirt and leggings. She looks fantastic. She grabs my hands and squeezes them. She doesn't seem to mind by baggy sweatshirt and too-big glasses.

"So, did you meet everyone yet?" Margaret asks eagerly, with an excited look in her eyes. I shake my head. "Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" She seizes my wrist and pulls me across the hallway, but I skid to a halt. She turns around and looks at me with a puzzled look on her face.

"I just…" I mutter, fiddling with the stiches on my sweatshirt, "I don't want them to see me and make fun of me." Margaret just shrugs.

"I think you look just fine!" Then she suddenly raises an eyebrow. "Wait a minute...is this about Leon?" I blush and glance down at the linoleum floor.

Leon is my ex-boyfriend. We had a mutual breakup over the summer, but it was evident that I still had feelings for him. Margaret and Lest were the only ones who knew about it. They were both there when I came home, an emotional wreck. I hoped to avoid Leon as much as I could, but I guess that was impossible. Meg sighed and hauled me over towards the next hallway.

"No, Meg, please!" I begged her, but she dragged me onward. "I don't wanna see him right now!" I was going to plead some more, but then she came to a halt. I peered down the hallway, and there he was, cool and tall and beautiful.

He was leaning up against the tiled walls, absorbed in his phone. My breath caught in my throat when I saw his carefree and nonchalant face. He has long, silver hair hastily tied back into a loose ponytail, hoodie, and a t-shirt with the words "_caution_" printed across the chest. The one thing that gives away the fact that he's Leon is the beanie he's wearing. He wears a striped beanie with two giant holes cut on either side. I can see his big prominent fox ears poking through the holes. He suddenly looks up from his phone and sees us. I stiffen as I see his ears twitch as his gaze settles on me.

"Frey…" he says in that stupid, always relaxed voice. "Hey. You've changed quite a bit." I can almost hear that smirk forming on his face.

"Yeah, well…" I mutter, unable to manage a good comeback. I focus my gaze on the floor. I can already feel the heat spreading across my face. Margaret lays a hand on my shoulder.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Leon," she chimes in. "But we have to get to class."

"Oh, yeah," Leon says distantly, as if he almost forgot. "Yeah. Class…" he hastily shoves his phone into his pocket and heads towards homeroom. "Later, Frey, Margaret," he calls over his shoulder. Meg turns to me, a truimphant grin on her face.

"See? That wasn't so bad!"

"Yeah, I guess…" I reluctantly admit, feeling grateful that Meg can't hear how loud my heart is beating. My gaze is locked on the spot where Leon was standing. I can tell she's watching. "Well...let's get to class." Margaret nods and heads in the direction to homeroom, and I instantly lose her in the crowd. I sigh and head down into the sea of people after her. Halfway through the ground I feel a light tap on my shoulder.

"Frey? Is that you?" I turn around to see..._him_?

_Vishnal_.


	2. Chapter 2: Our Homeroom Teacher

I blink several times in disbelief. Is this really Vishnal? There's no way...he used be shy, quiet and nerdy, with big glasses like mine, but I can see now that any visible trace of that has disappeared. He seems taller, a bit more muscular, no glasses...his light blue hair is grown out and tied into a side-ponytail. This isn't the Vishnal I know. Not even close. I finally recognize him when he gives me a familiar smile.

"It _is_ you!" He grabs my arm, clearly excited. "How've you been?" He glances at me up and down. "Wow, you've changed so much!" He chatters quickly, making it hard for me to comprehend what he's saying. He gently tugs at my ponytail. "Whoa, _this_ is new! It makes you look so cute!" I don't know excatly why but this statement makes me blush.

"Thanks…" I mutter, unsure of what I should say. I forgot to mention I became really awkward over the years. I hurredly change the subject. "You've changed quite a bit, too. Wow, you look great." I resist the urge to ask him if he was working out over the years we were away from each other. Vishanl shakes his head.

"You're flattering me!"

"No I'm not! Don't be ridiculous!" I laugh and pat him on the head, which I haven't done a couple years back. "I like this look. Your long hair looks really nice." My gaze becomes fixated on his hair. I absentmindedly twirl loose strands of his hair through my fingers.

"Um...Frey?" He asks, grinning nervously.

"Hmm? What is it?" I glance up at him.

"Don't you think we should be heading to class?" He points to a nearby door, presumably our homeroom.

"Ah! That's right!" I want to punch myself in the face for forgetting that easily. "C'mon, c'mon!" I take hold of Vishnal's wrist, bolt down to the homeroom and slam the door open.

Already I see tons of students that have already made it to the classroom. I can see some familiar faces, others are brand new to me. I'll have time to socialize later. I suddenly see Margaret, and I catch her eye. She grins broadly at me and waves me over. She's sitting next to Forte, an old classmate I hadn't gotten to know that well. I turn to Vishnal.

"Do you mind if…?" I gesture towards Margaret and Forte. He shakes his head and smiles. I can't help but grin back. "Thanks, Vishnal."

"No problem. I hope we'll be in the same class!" I head towards Meg, but suddenly he catches me by the shoulder. "And Frey?"

"Yeah?" I turn to face him.

"It's so great to see you again." Then he heads off to the other desks.

"What's that big grin for?" Meg asks teasingly as I grab a seat next to Forte, who nods at me and smiles politely. Now that Margaret's mentioned it, I can feel a big goofy smile forming across my face. I shake my head.

"It's nothing."

"Oooh, you were talking to Vishnal earlier! Maybe _that_ has something to do with it?" She playfully pokes me on the shoulder.

"It does _not_!" I protest, suddenly feeling defensive. "We were just talking, Meg."

"Alright, alright, I believe you," she giggles. I sigh. "Hey, isn't that your brother?"

"Where?" I whirl around. Finally, he shows up. Sure enough, he shows up at our desks. He leans towards us, ajusting the strap of his backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, Lest." Meg smiles broadly at him.

"Hey Margaret." He nods at me. "Frey."

"'Hey?'" I asked, somewhat irritated with him. "You've been ignoring me for two months and all I get from you is 'hey'?" He shrugs and runs a hand through his lazy golden hair.

"Sorry," he mutters. "Gotta go." He turns to Forte and gives her a lazy smile. "Hey, Forte." She blushes. Then Lest turns and walks away from us. I heave a sigh of frustration.

"You didn't tell me he was ignoring you for two _months_," Margaret said to me when Lest left. I shook my head.

"He said he needed some time away from me, that's all," I muttered. "He disappeared. Volkanon and I were so worried…"

Lest and I lived in a small neighbourhood apartment. Volkanon was our guardian and our caretaker, and Vishnal and Clorica were our friends. Vishnal and I _especially_ used to be close childhood friends, but going to different schools ended up severing our friendship and getting out of touch. It was during then that Lest started acting less like his cheerful self. He became more distant, and it frustrated me.

"Don't worry about it," Forte said suddenly, taking me by surprise. "Lest is a good person. I'm sure he'll go back to being himself soon." I had never heard Forte say sagely words of wisdom like those before.

I beamed at her. "Thanks, Forte." Forte glanced down at her desk, blushing slightly. Meg giggled.

All of a sudden, the ongoing chatter of the classmates died down. Everyone turned their attention towards the front of the room.

A tall young woman stood at the front, a broad grin on her face. She wore her hair in one long auburn braid, and she wore a rugged cap with a molecule. She smartly adjusted her molecule, scanning the room.

"Nice to meet you, class," she said. "My name's Ms. Illuminati, and _I'll_ be your homeroom teacher, got it?"


	3. Chapter 3: Murals

Ms. Illuminati grins. "Well, I'm excited to have a new batch of students this year! But you'll have to be wary of the rules in my classroom, or else!" I hear a few nervous laughs in the back of the room. "But not to worry, I'm not one of those scary middle-school teachers!" She winks at us and claps her hands together. "So, shall we get started? I'll give each of you partners for this assignment!" She picks up a clipboard laying on her cluttered desk and squints at it. "Let's see…"

After a few minutes, everyone gets paired up with a partner. I walk over to my new partner's desk.

"Hi." I grin at him and extend my hand. "My name's Frey." My partner glances up from his assignment and quickly grasps my hand in a handshake.

"Dylas." he mutters, averting my eyes. "Lest's brother, right?" I nod and take a seat next to him. He quickly makes room and scoots away from me. I read the assignment.

"This doesn't look so hard!" I look at him and smile. "Right?" He stares at his desk, apparenty embarassed.

"U-uh...yeah, I guess so," he replies curtly, shrugging. "Can we get started now…?"

After around forty-five minutes of working with Dylas, Ms. Illuminati announces that our time is up.

"I think we did good!" I grin. "Nice job, Dylas!" He blushes a little.

"Um...thanks…" he smiles a little. "You...you did good too. You're pretty smart." I laugh.

"You think so? Thank you very much!" He blushed darker.

"Uh...no problem." Just as we finish talking, Ms. Illuminati comes around to collect our assignments.

"Nice job today!" she says, clearly satisfied. "Okay, you're free to go!" The class got up, collected their things and poured out of the room.

After a long day of being introduced to new classes and teachers, the first day of school was finally over. I immediatly headed over to my locker and chatted with Meg.

"So, who's your favorite teacher?" she asked, cramming her new textbooks into her backpack. I shrugged.

"I kind of like Ms. Nancy and Mr. Jones."

"Ew! The lovey-dovey couple?!" She giggled.

"Hey, they're good teachers!" I say, laughing. "They're really nice too!" Meg shrugs, grinning.

"I guess you're right. I like Ms. Raven...she's so dark and mysterious!" She smiled.

"Don't go spreading rumors!"

"I won't! You know me better than that!" She slung her backpack over her shoulders.

"Are you gonna be here after school?" She shook her head.

"Sorry, Frey," she said ruefully. "I'll need to come home soon, or else Porco'll get really upset...you understand, right?" I nod.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" She smiles and nods. When she walks out into the hallway I immediatly lose her in the crowd. I slowly make my way outside in the school courtyard.

I inhale the fresh air. It feels so much nicer than the air in the cluttered hallways. I scan the courtyard for Lest, but I can't see him anywhere. I sigh and take a seat on one of the nearby tables, waiting for him. I fish through my backpack for a book to read, but just then I look up and see a colorful mural right in front of me. I stare at it in awe.

The mural looks freshly painted, with vibrant and almost-alive colors. Whoever painted it obviously put lots of time and love into it. Exotic patterns swirled across it, and beautiful colors and designs. I turned my head and saw that the mural stretched across the entire school wall, but all of it had been painted and filled with color. I glanced down and saw someone leaning very close to the mural, holding a paintbrush and making delicate swirls on it.

"Excuse me, did you paint this?" I asked. The person who was painting paused and looked up at me with tired eyes.

"Yes, I did," she said distantly. She had paintmarks on her face, and I could that there was dark circles beneath her eyes.

"For how long?" She shrugged.

"A long time, I guess," she replied, turning back to the mural.

"It looks amazing." I kneeled beside her and observed the close-up details. Everything was exquisite.

"Mmhmm," she hummed, not really paying attention. I glanced sideways at her.

"What's it for?"

"The Autumn Festival."

"Oh, that! You're working _this_ early?" The Autumn Festival was local, and our school hosted it every year. Me, Margaret and some of our other friends would go to the fair every year. It was always so fun. I looked at the painter again.

"Hey, are you a new student? I haven't seen you here before." She nodded in response. "What's your name?" She finally stopped painting and turned to look at me.

"My name is Dolce."

"That's a pretty name! My name's Frey." She nodded. It suddenly dawned on me that I was probably distracting her from her work, and she was probably annoyed with me. "Uh...I'm sorry, I'll leave you alone now…" She shook her head.

"It's okay." She gave me a small smile. "I'm waiting for someone anyway." She paused. "Frey's a nice name." I grinned.

"So who are you waiting-" I saw suddenly interrupted by a high pitch shriek.

"_Dolly!_" Dolce rolled her eyes.

"Great, it's her," she muttered. I jumped out of the way as a blur of purple flashed by me. I glanced up and saw that a girl with purple pigtails and an odd hat was hugging Dolce.

"Can we go home now? Please~" the girl pleaded. Dolce sighed, as if this was a regular thing for her.

"You're so rude. Can't you see I was talking to someone?" The girl turned to look at me with wide eyes. I waved.

"Oh, hello!" She gave me a huge smile. "I didn't see you, sorry~"

"It's alright." I grinned. Dolce sighed again.

"Frey, this is my obnoxious little sister, Pico." She pointed to the girl, who laughed.

"I may be obnoxious, Dolly, but I'll be near you forever!" Pico said, squeezing her tightly.

"Enough, already." Dolce detatched Pico's arms from her. "Why don't you go bother someone else for awhile?" Pico grinned.

"Anything for you! Should I go bother Lest?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Lest? You mean, you saw him?!" Pico gave me a confused look.

"Yes, I did. He's pretty close by." She smirked and said in a sing-songy voice, "Whyyy? Is he your _boyfriend_?" Dolce smacked her on the head. "Ow! Dolly, what was that for?"

"You idiot! Frey and Lest are _related_!" Dolce snapped. "Everyone knows that!"

"Ohhh! Sorry Frey!" I shook my head, smiling.

"It's fine, Pico. Don't worry about it." Just then, she turned and pointed.

"Hey, here he comes!" I spun around, and saw Lest running up to me.

"Hey...sorry I took so long," he panted, glancing up at me. "You're not mad at me...are you?" I sighed.

"Forget it, Lest. Let's just head back home." I glanced over my shoulder and waved to Dolce and Pico before heading off. As I walked away, I could've sworn that I saw Dolce smile and wave back.


	4. Chapter 4: Walking Back Home

We finally head back to our apartment. I toss my bag aside and collapsed onto our nearby couch.

"I'm exhausted," I sighed. Lest looked around our apartment.

"Weird. It doesn't seem like Volkanon's back yet." He walked over to our kitchen and peered at the fridge. "Hey Frey, look at this. He sent us a note." I hopped off the couch and made my way over to where Lest was standing. He handed me the note.

Dear Lest and Frey, it said, I will be out on a business trip for a few days, so I supplied you with enough food to last the week. If anything goes wrong, please call me.

V.

I sighed. Volkanon was always so busy. I headed upstairs to my room, kicked off my shoes and flopped onto my bed. Why do first days of school have to be so tiring? Without having much to do, I changed into fresher clothes and looked at myself in the mirror. I undid my ponytail and took of my glasses, reminding myself to buy contact lenses when I had the chance. I climbed back onto my bed and dozed off almost right away.

* * *

The next morning when I reached the school's entrance, I was instantly confronted by Meg.

"Hey!" she said happily. "Sorry I didn't contact you sooner."

"It's fine," I yawned.

"What's up? You look like you're about to fall asleep on me!"

"I didn't sleep so good. I woke up pretty early."

"Oh...I see." Meg takes hold of my arm. "Frey, I wanted to talk to you about the Autumn Festival."

"Oh, you too, Meg...?" I could tell she couldn't understand me by the confused look on her face. I cleared my throat. "Sorry, I should explain...people are already preparing for the festival...and so early, too!" She grinned.

"It is always nice to prepare in advance!" I nodded slowly.

"Yeah. That's true!"

"So anyways, I was planning something a little different. Instead of going to the park, let's go to the fair in the evening!" I looked at her.

"The fair?" I muttered. "I haven't gone in awhile...but that sounds pretty fun!" Meg giggled with excitement.

"I know! Forte came up with that idea, so thank her when you see her!" She snapped her fingers. "Oh, and think about who you'll invite too! Start doing that today, alright?" I nodded, and she hugged me. "Great! See you soon! I'm going to find some people to invite!" I headed over to the hallway. Meg seemed so excited about going to the fair. I wonder… "Oh! And, Frey?" I turned to Meg. "I invited Vishnal!" She winked at me and ran off, leaving me to try to understand her words.

For some reason, her statement made me blush. What was so important about Vishnal being invited? Even so, I feel embarassed. Why? I can't even fathom why I would be embarassed over a silly phrase. I bury my face in my hands, thankful that at least Meg didn't invite Leon. I sigh and head over to the locker room.

I quickly forget about what Meg had told me earlier and I focus on packing books into my locker. I am suddenly interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. I spin around. I'm confronted by a girl with wide eyes and green hair.

"Oh...hi, Amber." I say. She beams up at me. "What's up?"

"I knew I'd find you, Frey!" Amber cheers in a sing-songy voice. No one can deny how adorable she is. It's what she's recognized most for around the school, except for the fact of how incredibly smart she is, even though she may not look like it. Amber furrows her brow, trying to remember what she came to me for. Her big grey eyes widen with realization.

"Oh! I remember!" She chirped. "Um...it's Leon! He wants to talk to you." I roll my eyes.

"Then why didn't he go tell me in person?" I say, rather to myself than to Amber. She just smiles one of her huge smiles.

"He wants to talk to you in private, silly!" My heart skipped a couple of beats. What could Leon possibly have to say to me, even more so in person? There isn't anything else to say. I suddenly remembered that the last time he had talked to me privately, it was even before we had begun dating. Back then, when I had a crush on him. It was also the same time he had kissed me for the first time. I blush and cross my arms.

"Sorry Amber, but can you tell Leon that I can't talk to him right now? I'm really busy with...making plans." He'd believe that, right? Amber sighs.

"Aww...that's no fun!" She pouts, but nods. "Okay, I'll tell him."

"Thanks, Amber." I smile, turning back to my locker.

"Oh, and one more thing!" Before I can reply, she runs over and hugs me tightly.

"Heehee! I just couldn't resist~!" Giggling bashfully, she lets go of me. "Okay, see ya later!" She turns and scampers off to class, and I can't help but laugh. She's a unique one, that girl. I never quite figured out much about her. I hurredly gather my supplies and head off to class.

* * *

Today's class was quite uneventful, except for science. We were assigned with a pretty complicated assignment, making a medicine successfully, and we were partnered up in groups. The teachers, Mr. Jones and Ms. Nancy, said it was all about "trial and error," but I still felt nervous. I was grouped with Doug, one of Lest's best friends. Even though I didn't know much about him, I enjoyed talking to him. Doug's kind of cocky and he's kind of a geek, but he's a pretty nice guy.

"So! Um...do you have any idea what to do?" I asked him during that class, pointing to the cryptic instructions. He grinned.

"Nope! I was hoping that you'd know these kinds of things!" I scoffed.

"You slacker! You know that I don't specialize in herbal medicine!" He shrugged.

"Well...it's all about the adventure, right?" I stiffled a laugh. "So, let's see what we can do!"

After an hour of clueless and strange work, we were asked to turn in our work. Our medicine was supposed to give the drinker boosted strength and help treat paralysis. I was feeling less than confident though, since the instructions described the medicine to be a pale green when complete, but we had ended up with a murky brown. I cram our "medicine" into the tube, seal it and place it on the desk next to everyone else's work. I felt my spirits lift a little when I saw the other medicines. It seemed like everyone else was as clueless as us. I grinned and headed back to our work table. But Mr. Jones and Ms. Nancy still applauded us for our hard work.

"Great work today!" Jones said to us after our homework had been passed out to us. "Alright, you can go now." Everyone got up from their seats and flocked out of the room, except for one person. I was busy gathering my supplies. I turned to find someone asleep at her worktable.

Her head rested on the table's surface, her arms serving as her pillows. Her braided lavender hair was carelessly slung across her shoulder. Her shoulders rythmically moved up and down as she gently snored. It was a dead giveaway that it was Clorica. I smiled and resisted the urge to throw a blanket over her and let her sleep. I knew that Vishnal would come to wake her up anyway.

Vishnal and Clorica were unusually close. One might even think that they were a couple, they way that they spent so much time together. But I knew otherwise, as Vishnal treated Clorica more like a sister than a lover. They got along so well because in the past, they were both misfits. Clorica was a loner who had no history of family or parents, and Vishnal didn't have many friends besides Lest and I. Unsuprisingly, they clicked instantly. Volkanon took the responsibility of taking them, as well as Lest and I, under his wing. They grew so close, with them hardly being seperated from each other. I suddenly saw Vishnal walk into the room, over to where Clorica was. He gently tapped her on the shoulder. She stirred slightly.

"Clorica…" he mutters softly. "Class is over. C'mon, let's go back home."

"Hmm…?" Clorica shifted, then she finally lifted her head off the desk. She yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Oh...alright. Give me a minute…" She slowly climbed off the chair and began organizing her things. She glanced over at me and gave me a small wave. Vishnal saw me and grinned.

"Hey, Frey!" I grinned and waved. "Hey, wanna walk home?" Vishnal and Clorica lived very close by to us. We were practically neighbors. But still, I hadn't heard him ask me that in quite some time, probably in about a year and a half.

"I would...except Lest has some after-school homework to take care of...and I wouldn't want to be a nuisance to you and Clorica…" Vishnal grinned and shook his head.

"No, I mean…" he scratched the back of his, blushing a little. "I was wondering if you'd walk home with me. Just us, y'know? Clorica has some work to take care of too." He glanced at the floor. "And...I don't see you walking home with Lest that much…" As much as I want to deny it, it's painfully true. We've been keeping our distance for quite some time. I find no reason to object. I smile.

"Sure! Why not?" Vishnal blinks.

"Really…? Oh, um...I mean, okay!" He quickly swings his backpack over his shoulders, and so do I. "Great! Uh...let's go!"

* * *

As we make our way across the streets and down the sidewalks that lead to our apartments, I find the need to start a conversation.

"So, what gives? You haven't walked home with me in awhile." Vishnal glances at me.

"Sorry...I've just been...uh...really busy lately." I can tell that he's not telling the truth, but I decide to not press him on it. It's always best not to put Vishnal under pressure. Instead, I focus my gaze on the sunset as we walk down the avenue.

"Do you not like walking home with me now?" I can't resist asking. Vishnal blushes, becoming flustered.

"No! Not at all! I...it's...uh…" He looks at me, then stares at the pavement. "I...I love walking home with you! It's just...I'm busy and…" I put my hand on his shoulder to steady him, in fear that he'll get too worked up.

"Hey, it's alright," I say quickly. "I don't mind that you're busy!" I smile at him. "I don't mind at all. Okay?"

"O-okay…" he stutters, still embarassed. After some awkward silence, we finally reach our apartments. "I guess this is it." I nod, suddenly feeling reluctant to say goodbye.

"So, um, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah! And Frey?" Vishnal looks at me. I can see him debating over whether he wants to say someting or not. He eventually decides against it, and shakes his head. "Uh, nevermind. See you tomorrow!" He pats me on the head, then leaves. He leaves me standing there, wondering what he wanted to say. Why do I feel so embarassed? I shift my gaze to the ground, and I can't help smiling.

Walking home with Vishnal was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.

**I hope that was a slightly longer chapter for you guys! You deserve it! Anyways, I really wanna thank you for all the positive feedback. I really, REALLY appreciate it. If you have any suggestions, let me know! I'm open for hearing them! Thanks again for the nice reviews, and happy 4th of July! :) -AckermenDuo**


	5. Chapter 5: A Makeover?

The next day in homeroom, I can't see Vishnal anywhere, even though we're in the same class. I try to shrug it off, but something about it just bothers me. I see Clorica taking her seat. I quickly run over and tap her shoulder.

"Hey Clorica," I say, smiling. She yawns.

"Oh...hello, Frey." She stretches and looks at me. "Don't you wish that we could have more time to sleep in before school? I'm so sleepy…" She yawns again.

"Oh, uh...I guess. I never really thought about it!" I shrug. "Hey, have you seen Vishnal?" Clorica raises an eyebrow.

"He's...uhh…" Clorica stares at the ceiling. "He's helping preparing for the Autumn Festival. He's helping build the stands." She gives me a quizzical look. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing!" I wave my hand as if to dismiss the thought. I try not to blush. "I'm just wondering." Clorica gives me a funny look, but nods. I head over to my desk, then I sigh. _That was close._ Just then, I glance down at my desk and notice a small folded slip of paper that I don't recognize. I pick it up, unfold it, and read it.

_Hey, Frey! Sorry to not tell you this in person, but it's a secret! Heehee! Anyways, don't go straight home tonight. Come over to my house. We need to talk! Trust me, it's an emergency! Love, Meg._

I fold the paper back up and carefully place it in my bag, wondering what Margaret could possibly want. The rest of the students make their way into the room. Illuminati walks up to the front of the room and claps her hands, her usual gesture to get our attention.

"Alright class! Listen up!" Everyone looks up at her. She grins. "We have an announcement from our class rep, so give him your utmost attention!" Our class rep, Arthur, smiles shyly and adjusts his glasses. _Poor guy. He's never gotten used to being in front of crowds._

"Um, hello!" he says politley before looking at his notes. "Let's see...ah here it is." He glances up at all of us before looking back down at his paper. "The class representatives would, with pride, would like to announce that our very own Autumn Festival is coming! Due to a lack of jobs, we are currently searching for volunteers that are able to devote the next few days for our festival work." Arthur looks at us again. "If there's anyone who wants to take up a job, please raise your hand." An awkward silence rings out through the room. To my surprise, Dylas slowly raises his hand.

"I guess I'll do it…" he mutters. "But only under _certain conditions_." He glares at Doug, who gives him a snarky grin, and raises his hand too as if to say "bring it on." Dylas scowls. Arthur smiles with relief.

"I'll do it too, then!" I say, raising my hand. Dylas turns and glances at me, and I smile at him. "You inspired me, Dylas!" He blushes a dark red and hurredly turns back around. Forte raises her hand as well. She grins and gives me a thumbs-up.

"My brother's taking a job too," she explains.

"Okay, great!" Arthur says, scribbling a few things on the clipboard. "So, we'll be looking forward to seeing you at the art room after school. He smiles again. "Thank you!" He rushes back to his seat, and we continue our class.

* * *

After school I head over to the art room and sure enough, there's a clump of people waiting inside. Besides the people from our class, I recognize a few other freshmen, but I don't see any juniors, and I've never seen the seniors before. They're kind of a mystery. Shockingly, Dolce is nowhere to be seen, but I don't want to pry. I take a seat next to Forte.

"Hey Forte! Where's Kiel? I don't see him anywhere…" She glances up from the sign that she's painting.

"Oh, Kiel! He's uh...he's working on his job at our house." When I thought about it, Forte never talks much about Kiel. It's like she tries any subject that has to do with him.

"Really? Why?" She stares down at her sign, a guilty look on her face.

"I'd rather not talk about it," she mutters, a pained look on her eyes. "I'm sorry Frey…"

"It's okay." But at the same time, I wonder why Forte is being so elusive about Kiel. I never see him with Forte at school…

"Hey, Frey!" I nearly jump from my chair as my thoughts are puncuated with this phrase. I look up and see a freshman standing over me.

"Oh, hey, Xiao Pai. What is it?" I ask, feeling slightly annoyed that she startled me like that.

"Um...well, I need your help on a certain job..." she says, looking slightly embarrassed. "I was assigned with painting the stands, but it seems that it is...proving quite difficult for me." She gestures towards a knocked-over can of paint. "It took them forever to clean up." A worried expression crosses her face. "I need some help with the painting. You are not as clumsy as I, yes?" I get up from my chair.

"Sure! I'll help you!" Xiao grins at me.

"Hooray! Frey, you are truly my life-saber!"

"Um...do you mean life-_saver_?"

"Yes, yes! But nevermind that! We have work to do, correct? Come!" She takes my hand and leads me over to the stand. "I will have you know that I am much more skilled with making the food!" She points to the stand. "Now, this needs lots of painting! And writing, too! Something that will attract people to the stand, yes?" She yanks out several paint cans. "Now, let us get to work!"

* * *

An hour of work successfully passes by, only briefly interrupted by Doug and Dylas throwing paintbrushes at eachother. Arthur and I rushed to seperate them, but they were both already stained with paint by then. When our work was done, we stepped back to admire our work.

"It looks great!" I say proudly.

"Yes, it does!" Xiao Pai agrees. "You are quite the skilled painter!"

"Heh...you think so…?" I bashfully rub the back of my head. She nods.

"Yes! Frey, thank you very much! I wouldn't have gotten this much work done without you!"

"It was no problem!" I smile and gather my bags. "See you!" She waves goodbye. I head outside, and I see Dylas. I grin. "Hi, Dylas."

"Um...hi." He mutters. I walk up to him and point at him.

"Hey, next time we group up, no fighting with Doug, alright?" He rolls his eyes and sighs.

"Does it matter? He had it coming." I poke him.

"It does matter!" I laugh. "We'll have to seperate you guys next time!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Geez! So stubborn!" I shake my head, but I smile. "Great work today, Dylas. I'm sure Arthur's glad you signed up." He blushes.

"W-what…?" He says, then shakes his head. "I-it's not like I have anything _better_ to do! Don't get any ideas!" I laugh again.

"I'm just teasing you! I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Uh...okay." I wave at him before turning and walking to the parking lot, where Lest is waiting for me.

* * *

"I'll pick you up later, okay?" Lest says when he drops me off at Meg's house.

"Yeah, okay." I hop out of the car and head over to the house as Lest's car pulls away. Before I can knock on the door, Meg slams it open and pulls me inside.

"You came!" She grins. "Good! This is super important! Porco, we'll be upstairs!"

"You kids have fun~!" I hear a familiar flamboyant voice reply. Meg pulls me upstair into her room, and I'm greeted by the explosion of colorful wallpaper and posters, and a guitar leaning against the wall. Forte is there too, sitting cross-legged on Meg's bed. I sit on her bed as well.

"Okay, okay…" I say, trying to get my bearings. "Meg, why'd you invite me here, anyway?" Meg giggles.

"Ooh! Right! I still have to explain!" She winks at Forte, who grins. "Alright Frey, the situation here is very serious right now." I skeptically raise an eyebrow. "Our night at the fair is going to be very important. It's only once a year, which means you'll have to dress for the occasion! But Frey, this getup you have won't work at all!" She gestures at me up and down, and I sigh.

"So that's why you made me come here? To give me a makeover?" I will admit, I do need a change...Meg grins.

"Trust me Frey, you'll thank me later on!" She grabs me by the shoulders and puts me in front of her mirror. "First thing's first! Forte, contact lenses, please!" Forte tosses her a little box. "I took the liberty of buying these!" I sigh and put the lenses in my eyes, slipping my glasses in my sweater pocket. Meg then takes out my ponytail and runs a hairbrush through my somewhat messy hair.

"Meg, what are you gonna do to me?"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" She fishes through her closet and pulls out a shirt, scarf and a pleated skirt. "Put these on." I reluctantly do as she says. Meg takes a step back and nudges Forte, proud of her work. "So, what do you think?"

"She looks cute!" Forte smiles.

"I know! It suits her perfectly! But then again, she's naturally cute!" I blush.

"_Meg!_" She giggles.

"Sorry, sorry! I'll let you see now!" I turn around and look in the mirror.

At first, I can't even recognize the reflection. Even though Meg only have me contact lenses and re-did my hair, I look so different. She even tied my hair into twintails and secured them with ribbons.

"Wow…" I mutter.

"So, what do you think?" Meg asks excitedly.

"I like it." I reply, feeling slightly confused that I can't recognize myself. "I do like it, but it's so...different. I don't think I can handle it…" I look at myself in the mirror. "Something's missing…" I remove the contact lenses and put my glasses back on. "There! Much better!" Meg sighs.

"Honestly, Frey…" She laughs. "Alright, keep the glasses. It still looks pretty cute!" I grin.

"Thanks, Meg. Hey, maybe I needed this after all…"

"I told you~!" She sang. I grab a pillow and throw it at her.

"Don't you rub it in!" She laughs again, and Forte laughs as well. I grin and shake my head. Meg doesn't take many things seriously. But she's right. Maybe it is time for a change.

**I know that this chapter was somewhat short and uneventful, but it'll get more exciting really soon, trust me! Look forward to the next chapter real soon! 3- AckermenDuo**


	6. Chapter 6: I Love You

After a few days of hard work, the morning of the Autumn Festival had finally arrived. Meg and I spent the whole day at the festival. Food stands, game attractions and crowds of people occupied the outside of the school. Meg took hold of my hand and steered me out of crowd.

"Remember, we can't have anyone else see you until tonight!"

"Alright."

"Great!" Meg throws her arm around my shoulder and gives me a broad smile.

"So Meg, who did you invite?" She tilts her head up to the cloudless sky thoughtfully.

"Hm...let's see…" She ticks the names off on her fingers. "Vishnal, Clorica, Forte, Doug, Lest...and Arthur!"

"Arthur?" I raise an eyebrow. "You've never invited him to the park before." Meg shrugs, blushing a little.

"Well, why not?" She mutters, clearly getting embarassed. "He's our friend. Besides…" She nervously rubs the back of her head. "That was kind of my way of asking him out." She grins sheepishly. I grin back.

"Meg, you didn't tell me you had a crush on Arthur!" She giggles nervously and blushes a deep red.

"Hush, you!" She grabs me by the shoulders. "I don't want anyone to hear!" I laugh.

"Okay, okay!" Just then, I hurredly grab Meg's arm and steer her out of the way.

"Huh?! What was that for?" I silently point ahead of us, where Leon is within a few steps in front of us. I cover my face with embarassment. She pats me on the shoulder. "Aw Frey, don't worry about it!" I sigh.

"Sorry...it was a reflex." As Leon walks away in the opposite direction, I see him turn his head and glance at me, and it looked like he wanted to say something to me. But instead, he just sighs and walks away. I feel slightly confused. Just then I turn my head and notice Dolce's mural, and I point at it, forgetting about Leon for the moment. "Hey, do you know Dolce?"

"The junior? Yeah, I've of her...why?" Meg gazes at the mural.

"She worked on this...let's go check it out!" When we walk over to the mural, I notice that aren't many people gathering around it. I see Dolce and Pico sitting next to it. "Hey, Dolce, Pico!" I wave at them. "So, you finished the mural, huh? It looks incredible!" Dolce stands up and gives me a small grin.

"Thanks…" she replies. Meg walks up to the mural and peers at it.

"You did this?" She breathes in wonder. Dolce gives a tiny nod, and Meg smiles.

"That's amazing! I'd never be able to paint like this!" The mural is captivating, almost hypnotizing. Dolce poured her heart and soul into it, and her effort payed off. Every delicate stroke told some sort of story. Pico sighs sadly.

"You two are the only ones to come see the mural," she says ruefully. Dolce shoots her a dirty look, but I can see a pained expression flash across her face.

"You didn't have to tell them that!" A shocked Meg turns her attention back to Dolce.

"Seriously?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper. "Why?! This mural is beautiful!" Dolce just shakes her head and rubs her eyes wearily.

"M-maybe they're just busy?" I say, trying to lighten the situation. "I mean, they must have their reasons, right…?" Dolce smiles at me, this time it's a geniune smile.

"Don't worry about it," she reassures us in a soft voice. "You two are here. That's enough for me." She blushes a little, then turns back to her mural. "I don't need a crowd of people. You think it's beautiful, and that's worth a thousand pieces of criteria." I feel a sudden pang in my stomach, then I blurt out the first thing I can think of.

"Hey, how about you come with us to our party tonight? As...a celebration for your completion! Y-you can bring Pico too!" Dolce looks at me, a shocked expression on her face.

"You'd invite me…?" She asked with disbelief. I nod.

"Sure! We're friends, aren't we?" Dolce looks at Pico, who nods excitedly.

"Alright. Frey, Margaret…" She grins. "I'd love to come with you. I'll meet you there, alright?" Meg tackles me in a hug.

"Yay!" She cheers. "Dolce gets to come with us~!" She waves at Dolce. "Okay, we'll see you later!" Dolce smiles and waves as we walk away, over to the stands.

* * *

After playing a few games and purchasing some food, the sun starts to set. Meg grins and squeezes my hands eagerly.

"So, are you excited?!" She asks. I nod and manage a smile, even though I have butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I made sure to wear the nicest clothes I had in my closet, and I decided to wear the contact lenses, even though I felt naked without my glasses. Meg quickly checks my newly-styled hair. "You look great!" I blush a little at this statement. We head over to the parking lot, where Lest is waiting for us. He's wearing a nice suit.

"Ooh, you didn't tell me you had a suit, Lest!" I say, smiling. Lest gives me a devious smirk and straightens his tie.

"It's a special occasion, right? I thougth I'd dress up a little!"

"I guess that's true." I grin. Meg grabs me and pulls me into the car, and we drive over to the fairgrounds.

* * *

By the time we reach the fairgrounds, then sun has already set, and the stars are coming out. Lest, Meg and I hop out of the car, and we meet up with our game. Thankfully, everyone is here. Meg claps her hands together and grins.

"Alright! Now that everyone else is here, I was thinking we could split up for now, and meet back here in an hour! Everyone needs to have at least one partner with them! So, partner up!

"Oooh! I call Dolly!" Pico hugs Dolce and grins.

"I'll go with Forte." Lest takes hold of Forte's hand, who blushes and nods.

Clorica decided to partner up with Dolce and Pico, and Doug partners up with Lest and Forte.

"I guess that means you're my partner, huh?" Margaret grins and taps Arthur on the shoulder who smiles shyly.

"Yes, I guess so." Meg glances at me, and winks. She waves and smiles innocently at me.

"Well, I'll see you in an hour!" She says, walking off with Arthur.

"W-wait, Meg! I thought-" I suddenly feel someone catch me on the shoulder. I turn around to see Vishnal.

"I guess that means that we're partners?" He smiles.

"I think so…" I say, then the realization comes over me. Meg set me up with Vishnal.

_Margaret, I'll be sure to make you pay when all of this is over._

"S-so…" I stutter, "Where do you wanna go?" I suddenly have no idea what to do. Vishnal shrugs.

"Wherever you want to go is fine with me!"_ Nonono! That just makes it harder!_ I clear my head and say the first thing that comes to mind.

"The ferris wheel sound good to you?" He grins.

"The ferris wheel? Sure!" Without much more exchange of words, we head over in line to the ferris wheel.

By the time the line wears off, we climb into one of the carts. I scoot away from Vishnal and gaze out the window as the ferris wheel lifts off. I feel so awkward, and I have no idea what to say. My heart is thumping in my chest so loudly, I silently pray that Vishnal can't hear it. After some time of awkward silence, he finally speaks up.

"Frey?"

"Hm?"

"I'm...I'm really sorry that I haven't been talking to you over the summer, or at all recently." I turn around to look at him. Why is he telling me this?

"Vishnal, why do you say that now?" Vishnal sighs.

"You seemed kind of down when I walked you home. Like you were upset with me…" I stared at my hands, the heat rising on my face.

"Well…" I looked at him. "We didn't talk much during the summer. And I thought you were mad at me, and that you were ignoring me, or avoiding me." Vishnal looked surprised.

"What? No! I was never mad at you! How could I be mad at you?" I looked him in the eyes this time.

"Then why did you avoid me, Vishnal? How come we never talked? I _missed_ you!" This time it was his turn to blush.

"I have a lot of explaining to do, don't I…" He sighs, then looks at me guiltily. "Back then, I liked you for a really long time. I was going to confess that, but when you started dating Leon, I decided to leave it alone. I thought that you made it perfectly clear that you didn't like me. I tryed getting over it, but I just couldn't. I was hung up for days." I felt a twinge of guilt.

* * *

I remebered the day I broke up with Leon. I didn't handle it well at all. In fact, it took me all the strength I had just to not cry. It was late at night, and I ended up staying at Vishnal's house. Everyone was asleep at the time, except for him. When he asked me what was wrong, I burst into tears. I remebered him spending hours trying to comfort me.

"It's alright…" he said on that night, hugging me.

"W-what am I going to do…?" I sobbed.

"You're going to move on," he replied, handing me a tissue.

"I can't, Vishnal!" I hiccuped as I blew into the tissue. "I love him so much!" He put his arm around my shoulders.

"It might be hard, but I know you can," he reassured me. "You're not the kind of person who gives up easily." He grinned. "See, you're coping with it already!"

"You dork!" I half-laughed, half-hiccuped. I playfully punched him on the shoulder. He laughed.

"See? You don't need him to get by!" And even when I was sleepy and worn-out from crying, I did feel better already, and it was all thanks to Vishnal.

* * *

"Vishnal, I had no idea…" I muttered, my guilt overtaking me. I never thanked him for that night, and I felt horrible about it. "I'm sorry, I was being selfish." Vishnal smiled sadly and scooted closer to me. "It's over between me and Leon. I don't need him anymore." My hand hovered over his hand for a moment, then I laid my hand on top of his. "Vishnal. I promise I won't ignore you anymore. That was a stupid thing of me to do. I'm really sorry." Vishnal blushed and looked at me.

"Frey…" he turned his head to look out the window, not pulling his hand away. I could see that we had reached the top of the ferris wheel. He shook his head. "N-nevermind…"

"Vishnal, tell me. Please." He sighed and turned back to me.

"It's been a secret up until now, but…" His hand slowly inched up to my face, and I didn't dare pull away. He moved closer. I tensed up but I refused to back away. My heart was beating louder than a drum. Vishnal grinned shyly. "Frey...I...I love you." Without warning, he shot forward and kissed me.

At first I was surprised, but that was quickly replaced with a new feeling. A feeling that I hadn't felt in a very long time. In that moment, I didn't care about anything else. I closed my eyes and kissed him back, letting the feeling sweep me away.

By the time I opened my eyes, the ferris wheel had reached the ground. I grinned up at Vishnal, the familiar blush spreading across my face.

"I'm glad you feel the same way!" I say, turning my gaze to the floor.

"Yeah…" Vishnal smiled, and we ended up kissing again. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"It's okay!" I laughed, then glanced out of the window. The ferris wheel was coming to a stop, and we hopped out of the cart.

"We still have some time left," Vishnal said to me, taking hold of my hand. "Wanna walk around?" I nodded and smiled.

"I'd love that."

It was that night, that moment, that I realized that all this time, I was in love with my best friend.

**And there you have it! The moment you've all been waiting for! :D I really hope that Frey & Vishnal didn't seem out of character during that scene, I was really nervous while writing this chapter! But anyways, I hope you guys still enjoyed it! :) -AckermenDuo**


	7. Chapter 7: Everything's Alright

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in awhile! I just started theater practice, so I'll be more busy. Please don't be disappointed if I don't update soon, but yes, I'm still alive! ;) I'll update when I can! Without further waiting, I bring you Chapter 7!**

* * *

The next morning on my way to class, Dolce and Pico were the first people I caught up with. They explained to me that yes, Meg set us up, but they were happy that it worked out in the end.

"So...you and Vishnal, huh?" Dolce said. "I don't know much about love, but congrats anyway." She gave me a small smile.

"It's always a thrill to see new relationships blooming!" Pico agreed. She suddenly flung her arms around Dolce. "Oh, Dolly! If you only you would accept my love!" Dolce sighed.

"Again with the drama stuff? Knock it off, already." She shook Pico off of her, and I laughed. "I guess I'll talk to you later, Frey."

"Yeah, sure!" Dolce waved at me, then we departed for class.

As I was taking supplies from my locker for history class, someone snuck up on me from behind.

"Guess who?" I whirled around.

"Vishnal, don't scare me like that!" I laughed and shook my head. "What's up? What're you doing here?" Vishnal smiled.

"I just wanted to say hello to my princess." He leaned over and quickly kissed me. "And I got something for you…" Vishnal searched around in his hoodie pockets before pulling out two small scraps of paper, handing one to me. I adjusted my glasses and peered at it. It was a ticket to…

"Kanark Club? That karaoke club down the street?" I glanced up at him. "Vishnal, these are really pricy!" He shrugged.

"Think of it as our first date!" He smiled, and I could feel my cheeks go warm. He had gotten through all the trouble to pay for tickets to the most expensive karaoke club in town, and I had nothing in return.

"B-but, I don't have anything to give back to you in return!" I blushed, getting flustered. He just shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to spend some time with you. It doesn't matter how much money I have to spend!" I felt a twinge of guilt. I believed him, but I still wanted to give him something in return.

"T-thank you!" I hugged him. "I promise that I'll make it up to you!" He laughed and hugged me back.

"You're so predictable! But I guess I'll have to let you!" He pinned the ticket onto my jacket. "I'll be looking forward to it this weekend!" He smiled again.

"Vishnal...you know that I don't sing…" I mutter. He looked over at me.

"I'm sure that you're a great singer, Frey." He sounds honest, and I almost believe him.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because…" He walked over and kissed me on the forehead. "You're always surprising me!" He smiled. "I know that you'll do fine." Just then, the bell went off. "We'll talk later, okay?"

"O-okay!" I hurredly gathered my things and made my way to history class. My heart was pounding. I have a date. With Vishnal. I felt like I was full of air and that I might float away. It was like everything was going to be alright. I knew that wasn't true. Of course nothing was alright! But during that moment, I felt like all the bad or troublesome things in the world had been put to rest. It took me all my willpower to not skip into the classroom. I guess I had a hard time disguising the look on my face, because when I sat down behind Meg, she turned and smirked at me.

"Well, you're certainly in a good mood today!" I blushed and started organizing my papers. She leaned towards me excitedly. "So, spill! Pico told me that you and Vishnal are dating now!"

"Shhh! Keep your voice down! And yeah, because you set me up!"

"Aww, boo! It was supposed to me a secret!" She shrugged nochalantly. "It was totally worth it, though!"

"You sneak!" I rolled my eyes, but grinned. "I guess I do owe it to you, huh?" Meg smiled.

"No need to thank me! I was only helping you out! You did the 'asking out' part just fine, I just had to help you work up the confidence to do so!" I laughed.

"I'm so glad you're my friend! I'd be so lost without your help!" Meg giggled. That was true. Meg had been my best friend since childhood. I wouldn't know what I would have done if I had never met her. I probably wouldn't have never had the same great friends I had now. Just then, Meg fixed her gaze on my jacket. She reached over and plucked the ticket from the mass of buttons and pins.

"Woah! What's this, now?" I could hear the shock in her voice. "Kanark Club?!" She looked at me, and I blushed. "Frey, I didn't know you could sing!"

"I can't!" I quickly snatched the ticket from her. "Vishnal got the tickets. He asked me out on a date." Meg's eyes widened.

"Really? Frey, that's great!" She gave me a huge smile and grabbed my hands. "So, when're you going?"

"This weekend."

"Two days?! You lucky dog, you!" She grinned. "You know how much I've always wanted to go to Kanark Club!" The guilt starts plaguing me again. Meg is one of my best friends, after all…

"Hey, Meg, how would you like to come with us?" I smiled. "I know you've wanted to go for years now." She stared at me with disbelief.

"Frey, if that was a joke, it wasn't funny!"

"I'm serious!" Meg's eyes grew larger than ever.

"N-no way…!" She looked at me slacked-jawed. "You're serious?!" She lunged forward and hugged me so hard, it nearly squeezed all the air out of my lungs. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Meg...can't...breathe…"

"Sorry, sorry!" She giggled and let go of me. "I'm so excited!" Her eyes lit up. "Can I bring a few friends too? Pretty pleeease? I promise it'll be just a few!" I sighed, but grinned. I didn't want to deny Meg anything. Not while we were about to go to the place of her dreams. She squealed excitedly. "Yay! I'll bring my guitar, too! Oh, Frey, this'll be our best night out ever! Just you wait and see!" Just then our history teacher, Ms. Blossom, walks into the rooms and our class falls silent. So begins another day, another class.

* * *

Instead of eating in the cafeteria, I decide to eat up on the roof. I occasionally like to head up there by myself, when I'm stressed, wanting to get away from the noise, or if I just want to clear my head. Grabbing my lunch, I took the opposite route from everyone else, taking the stairs and opening the door to the roof.

It's a beautiful day today. The sky is clear and cloudless, which is rare here in late autumn. There's a light breeze blowing, and I can see all the activities below. I can see some of our atheletes playing out on the field, and my mind snaps back to Leon. Leon was always big on playing football. He would play on our home team, the Woolies, while we dated. I wonder if he's playing on the field right now...I quickly shake him from my thoughts and take a seat, unpacking my lunch. I don't notice the person sitting across from me until I hear the scuffling of shoes. I jump, just noticing Dylas sitting a few feet away from me.

"Hey! You startled me!" I grin. "I didn't know anyone else ate up here!"

"Sorry."

"It's fine." I smile and take out some onigiri that I made the night before. I bite into it. "At least I have some company now! So, what're you doing up here alone?" Dylas sighs.

"To get away from the noise, I guess…" he mutters, pulling out a carrot and examining it. "To get away from Doug." I glance up from my food.

"Wha' do you haff againft Doug, anyway?" I say, my mouth full of rice. I quickly gulp it down. "He's not that bad of a guy." Dylas shrugs.

"He used to make fun of me," he admits. "A lot. I guess I held a grudge over him for awhile. "It's kind of turned into a competition now. Everything I do, he tries to do better, and vice-versa." Dylas folds his hands behind his head. "I don't mind, though. That little shrimp could never get the best of me, anyway."

"Is that why you're shy? Because Doug picked on you in the past?" Dylas shrugs again, blushing a little.

"Maybe," he mutters cryptically. "But hey, at least I was able to get my revenge!" He smirks, and I giggle. "W-what's so funny?"

"Heehee! Nothing!" I smile. "It's just...you never take your fights with Doug seriously, even though he used to bully you." I look at him. "I think that's really cool of you, Dylas. It's awesome that you were able to move on so fast." Dylas' blush deepens, and he quickly looks away.

"Thanks…? I dunno what the big deal is, though…" I chuckle and continue to eat my lunch.

After awhile of eating in silence with Dylas, I hear the bells chiming. I pack up my lunch and head over to the door, placing my hand on the doorknob.

"Thanks for eating lunch with me, Dylas!" I grin. "Are you coming?" Dylas gives me the tiniest smile and shakes his head.

"That's alright. I'd like to stay up here for awhile."

"You're skipping class?"

"Yeah, that's right." I almost object, but I let it slide.

"Okay, see you next time, hopefully!" I wave at him and head down the stairs to my next class.

* * *

For the rest of the day, I feel happy and bewildered at the same time. I can't get over the fact that I have a date, and in two days. I thought I would never go on another date again. After restraining my urge to skip the whole day, I finally let loose and skip all the way up to my room. I tape the ticket onto the mirror on my dresser, and I collapse onto my bed, full of joy and excitement.

I'd call this day a major success.


	8. BONUS CHAPTER: Wait For Me

**Hey guys! I hope you don't mind the sudden change of P.O.V of this chapter! I know this is somewhat different, but I hope you like it! I'm really sorry if I mess up any of the Rune Factory Frontier characters, I don't know them as well as the RF4 characters! ;^^ Anyway, please enjoy! (This chapter has some slightly suggestive dialogue.)**

At first, Raguna just couldn't understand why everything went wrong.

Raguna had it pretty good. He was one of the more popular seniors in Rune Factory High School. He was pretty social, and he got good grades. And his older brother Ivan was fairly popular too. Raguna knew that some of the students would kill to have an easy lifestyle like his. Except, it wasn't easy- scratch that, it was anything _but_ easy.

Well, at least on the day _she_ came into his life.

Her. He never forgot the day she turned everything upside down. For someone who was kind of forgetful, he would never forget her. He remember the day when he first saw her…

It was a chilly autumn morning. They were in there sophmore year. He was almost on the verge of falling asleep. During that time, the football captain Brodik sat in front of him, making it nearly impossible for him to see the teacher. He glanced over at his best friend, Selphy, who was fast asleep at her desk. He sighed and stared down idly at his desk, when suddenly the classroom door burst open, causing a gust of air to blast into the room. The whole class jumped in shock, including Selphy. Raguna saw two golden-haired girls run into the room and take the two empty desks.

"Sorry we're late!" The girl with the shorter hair panted. She glared at the other girl. "Mist here got _distracted_!" The girl named Mist gave her a small smile.

"Rosetta, the cloud really _did_ look like a sheep, didn't it?" The girl, apparently named Rosetta, waved her hand dissmisively.

"Whatever! That's not an excuse for arriving late!" That was the introduction of the two new students.

The rest of class remained relativley normal after that. At one point, the girl named Mist leaned over and lightly tapped Raguna on the shoulder. He noticed that she looked rather pretty up close.

"If you saw a cloud shaped like a sheep, you would be interested in it, right?" Raguna hesitated, unsure how to reply. Nobody had asked him a question like that before.

"Uh, I guess it depends." Mist frowned.

"It does? How does it depend?"

"Well...if you're in a hurry, you wouldn't have time to interested, right? But if you were casually walking and saw it…" Mist's eyes lit up.

"Ooh! I see! Thank you! I'll try to remember that next time!"

"Um...no problem!" Raguna smiled and turned back around in his seat.

What a strange girl…

* * *

About three months after Mist's cloud incident, the autumn season shifted into winter, and Raguna started to take a liking to Mist. Sure, she said stuff that was kind of out of the ordinary, but she was nice to talk to.

"I think I like her." Raguna said to Selphy during lunch. They were sitting in the library, hidden away behind shelves of books. They sat there reguarly.

"You like who?"

"Mist." This surprised Selphy enough to look up from her book. She raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" She said, her expression unreadable. "What do you like about her so much?"

"I'm not sure…" Raguna sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I've been talking to her for awhile now. I've even been over at her house once. She's nice too, y'know?" He folded his hands behind his head. "I think I have a crush on her." He looked over at Selphy. A slow grin crept across her face.

"Really?! Oh, this'll be a great headline! 'Raguna Crushing on Mystery Girl'! The whole school'll be all over it!" Raguna blushed.

"Shush, Selphy! I knew I couldn't trust you!" Selphy giggled.

"Relax, bud! You can trust me!" She smiled at him. "In fact, I might even help you!"

"Oh, yeah? What do you know about about romance?" She scoffed.

"I'm an expert! You know I'm a big fan of romance novels! I _know_ these things, my friend!" She made a dramatic flourish. "Call me Selphy, the Romance Masquerader!" Raguna rolled his eyes and laughed.

"You're an expert, huh?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, then set me up with Mist!" Selphy smirked.

"Oooh, you're _fast_! Alright then, how about I'll arrange a meeting at the holiday dance?"

"Wait, _what_?!" Raguna's blush became more prominent. "You're serious? You'll actually do it?!"

"Duh! Why wouldn't I? You're not gonna back out _already_, are you"

"But...I thought...agh, forget it!" Raguna heaved a sigh, then looked at her hopefully. "Okay, fine! Have her meet me in the gym equipment room during the dance! Can I trust you?" Selphy grinned, the wheels in her head already turning.

"You can trust me, Raguna! I won't let you down!"

* * *

Raguna was busy prepping himself up for the holiday dance. He was anxious when the night of the dance finally arrived. Him and Selphy walked toward the gym, where it was being held.

"You remember the plan?" Selphy asked him. She was wearing a strapless blue dress with matching high heels.

"Yeah." Raguna gulped. He had spent some time straightening his suit and smoothing his hair. When they walked through the door, they were greeted by flashing lights and booming music. Selphy turned and waved before Raguna lost her in the sea of people. His heart was pounding as he gradually made his way through the crowd. He climbed over the bleachers and fumbled with the key Selphy had stolen for him, before pushing it into the lock and turning it. It unlocked with a satifying _click_, and Raguna quickly turned the door handle and slipped inside.

Surrounding him was shelves of sports equiment. Raguna sighed and flipped the light switch. He could hear the faint pounding of music from the gym. He walked over to an empty cooler and sat on it and waited.

After around ten minutes of waitiing, the door turned and opened. Selphy came in, closely followed by Mist. Raguna's breath caught in his throat. She wore an elegant light blue that flowed around her like water.

"So, what was it you wanted to look for in here?" Mist asked, taking in the staggering amount of sports equipment.

"Um, I _know_ it's in here somewhere…" Selphy winked at Raguna, who hurredly stood up. "Oh! Found it!" She snatched a basketball off the shelf and bolted, slamming the door behind her.

"Hey! S-Selphy! Wait!" With a confused look on her face, Mist turned and saw Raguna, who smiled nervously. "Oh...hello, Raguna. Um...why are you in here?" Raguna sighed and straightened his tie.

"Mist, I need to talk to you. In here."

"Oh! Uh, alright!" She still looked confused. "Well, what is it?"

"First of all, Selphy led you in here so I could talk to you." Raguna nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I have a confession to make." He walked over to the cooler and sat down. Mist nodded. "Mist, I like talking to you. I've gotten to know you a lot, and you ended up being my friend. Well...after awhile I realized that you're much more than just a friend. I think you're really nice and pretty, and...I have really strong feelings for you." He looked at her. She blushed a little, a surprised look on her face. "I like you a lot. I think...I fell for you." He silently thanked Selphy for lending him one of her romance novels so he could quote that last scentence. "I know it's cheesy, but it's how I feel." He slowly stood up and waited for her answer.

At first she looked surprised, then her shock was briefly replaced with bashfulness. Her blush deepened, then she smiled.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me, Raguna. The truth is...Rosetta always told me to stay away from you. That you were out of my league. You're pretty popular, and I thought I wouldn't be able to get close to you." She gave him a small smile. "But I guess that didn't stop me from falling in love with you." Raguna's heart skipped several beats. He almost couldn't believe his ears. He took a step towards her.

"So, you feel the same way…?" He carefully put his arms around her shoulders (something Selphy stressed to be _very_ important). He smiled. "I...Mist, that's great! I'll just say it! I...I love you!" Mist grinned.

"You know Raguna, if you want to kiss me, you don't have to wait." He blushed.

"W-what? Who said I was going to-" Suddenly Mist pulled him foward and kissed him. At first he was surprised, but then he closed his eyes and kissed her back.

They stood like that for awhile, kissing in the the gym equipment room. When Raguna opened is eyes, he saw Selphy peeking through the window. She laughed and gave him a thumbs-up. Raguna laughed and shook his head, going back to kissing Mist again.

* * *

Word got out pretty fast that Raguna and Mist were dating. They were dating happily for a long time. Being in love was so _new_ to Raguna, but he was still happy. He had never been so in love before, and it was the same for Mist.

Then, towards the end of junior year, everything changed.

One early fall evening, Raguna and Mist were sitting on a steep hill that was just outside campus, with a huge tree shading them. It was their favorite place to go, but today Mist seemed very upset over something she wanted to tell him about. Then, she finally told him…

"You're moving...?" Raguna looked at her with disbelief, his breath forming into little fog clouds. "Why?" Mist shook her head. She looked like she was on the verge of crying.

"I...I don't know…" She replied, rubbing her eyes. "My parents have business plans, and it's already decided, there's nothing I can do!" She started to cry, and Raguna quickly moved to her side and hugged her. "It's so far away...I just don't think this will work out." Raguna remained silent, staring at the sunset. Of course a long-distance relationship would be near impossible to work out, so why did her words hit him so hard?

"Are you breaking up with me?" Mist hurredly wiped her tears on her jacket sleeve.

"I don't _want_ to break up with you, but I don't have a choice…" Raguna nodded. There was no way he scrounge up enough money to visit her daily. There was nothing he could do, and he felt hopeless. "I only have a few days left."

"A few _days_?" He stared at her with shock. She slowly nodded, then looked at him.

"I want to make the last days with you count, Raguna." She had a serious look on her face. "Let's do all the things that we won't be able to do later on." Raguna looked at her, a long silence coming between them.

"Of course. I'll make them count." He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Mist."

He spent a long night with her afterwards.

* * *

He felt so hollow ever since she left. Not even Selphy and Ivan could seem to cheer him up. It was as if Mist had shaken his entire life up, leaving him in a daze. He tried to be positive, but he found a hard time finding things to be positive about. Rosetta seemed lonely as well. It was senior year now, and Raguna still felt lost. Then one night, he had a crazy idea. It was a stupid idea, but he didn't care.

_I'm going to see her again. I need her._

With that, Raguna had decided. He didn't know how he would get there, but he would find a way to find Mist. A thought struck his mind. _She's going to a different school. She's probably made new friends, dating someone else…_ Raguna quickly shook the thought from his mind. He knew that somehow, he'd get back with her. He couldn't spend the rest of his life like this.

_Wait for me, Mist._


	9. Chapter 9: Frey's Date

I was incredibly nervous on the night of our date. I was restless throughout class. During our last period, I was fidgeting fitfully in my seat. I practically bolted out of the room once the final bell rang.

When I reach my apartment, I head up to my room and close the door behind me. I stare myself down in the mirror.

_You can do it, Frey. It's too late to back out now. _

I peer inside my closet and pull out a short green dress, an outfit which I hadn't had enough courage to wear before. I tie some ribbons in my hair and slip the dress on, looking at myself in the mirror again. Last year, I would've avoided wearing this dress at all costs. I wouldn't let _anyone_ catch me wearing it. Now, wearing it doesn't seem so bad as I thought...I'm amazed that it doesn't look so bad on me. I put on my contact lenses and my pair of black sandals. I slip on my parka and grab my bag before heading out the door. _It's a special night. Dressing up a little won't hurt...right? _

The sun is already setting, and I decide to walk into town. After around twenty minutes of walking, I hear my phone go off in my pocket. A text from Meg.

_Heyy! Where are you? We've already shown up! Dont be late!_

I drop my phone back into my bag and make my way down the street as quickly as I can.

I finally reach the club. It's pretty hard to miss, with its flashing lights and neon signs. I turn my ticket in and head inside. I'm immediatly greeted by a blast of chatter and music mingled together. I can see Meg sitting by one of the larger tables. She smiles and waves me over. I quickly head over. There, I see not just Meg, but also Arthur, Forte, Doug, Amber, Dylas, Dolce, and Pico.

"You made it! Welcome!" Arthur grins.

"Hey, it's Frey! Now the party's _really_ started!" Doug says. Dylas rolls his eyes.

"Meg, what's all of this?" I whisper to her, my heart sinking. She gives me a confused look.

"What? You said I could invite a few people!" She whispers back.

"_A few_ people, Meg!" I gesture at all of them. "I meant only one or two people, Meg!" Meg huffs with frustration.

"Well, I didn't want to leave any of our friends out!" She says, a guilty expression on her face. "I would hate it if anyone got left out!" I sigh. Arguing with Meg is the last thing on my agenda for tonight.

"Fine. _Fine_!" I sigh and walk over to the fancy booth chairs. "Make some room!" I sit over at the end of the booth. Before I can ask where Vishnal is, I see him walking over towards our table, carrying multiple trays of food.

"That line was long! I thought I would never get the food!" Vishnal sighs and lays out the food on the table. Everyone except me makes a dive for the food.

"Thank you, Vishnal~!" Meg cheers, taking a hot dog and squirting some mustard on it. A nasty thought crosses my mind. _Have they been using him as a butler the whole time I was gone?_ Vishnal turns and sees me. He smiles, even though something about it looks off.

"Hey, you!" He quickly leans over and kisses me on the cheek. "You look great!"

"Um...thanks!" I blush. "It's a special night, right?" He nods and grins. Meg suddenly grabs our attention by rapping her knuckles on the table.

"Hey! We didn't come here just for the food, right?" She grins and gestures to the platform where the guests preform karaoke. "Who wants to go up first?"

"Frey and Vishnal should _totally_ sing a duet!" Pico says, a huge grin spreading across her face. Dolce glares at her.

"Do you really think Frey would be comfortable with doing that?" She snaps.

"Oh, Dolly! Use your imagination!" Vishnal glances over at me as Dolce and Pico bicker. He looks like he wants to say something, but shrugs it off and stares down at his hands. I can see him blushing. Suddenly, I see Forte raise her hand.

"I guess if no one wants to go…" She mutters, standing up. "I'll go." We look at her in shock as she requests a song and steps up onto the platform.

"I didn't know Forte could sing!" Amber says.

"Neither did I…" I mutter in response. I watch as Forte carefully picks up the microphone as an unfamiliar song starts to play. Then she starts singing.

I had never heard Forte sing before, so I didn't know how she would sound. But I never stopped to think if she was an amazing singer, so you could imagine my shock and stupor when I heard her sing. She had a beautiful voice. I could hardly believe it was Forte singing. Meg is a great singer too, but Forte's voice was just..._different_. She was more subtle, whereas Meg is always more outgoing when she sings.

When Forte's song stopped, we just stood there, watching in awe. Meg suddenly shot up from her seat and applauded grandly. We gradually joined in, even Dylas had a smile on his face. Meg and I ran up and hugged her tightly.

"That. Was. _Amazing_!" Meg cheered. Forte blushed.

"T-thank you…" she stuttered. "I've been taking vocal lessons for awhile now…I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's fine!" As we head back to the table, I see Lest smile at Forte.

"Nice job out there." Forte blushes again and smiles.

Everyone took turns singing after Forte (except Vishnal and I). Even Doug and Dylas had a "duet", which was very entertaining. As the night went on, my anger at Margaret gradually simmered down. It seemed everyone in the club was having a good time, except one figure I noticed in the corner. He was resting his head on the table, very still. Sitting next to him was a girl with blonde hair holding a book. As we were all hanging out at our table, I tapped Meg on the shoulder and pointed over at him.

"They seem familiar," I said to her. "Do they go to our school?" Meg peered over to the table and nodded.

"That's Raguna and Selphy! They're seniors!"

"Why does Raguna look so upset?" Meg raised her eyebrows in shock.

"You mean, you didn't hear what happened? Raguna broke up with his girlfriend, because she's moving away. I heard they dated for two years!"

"Oh...I see." I felt pity for him. "Poor guy." Meg nodded with dismay.

"Right? Looks like he's having a really hard time getting over her!" Just then, someone taps me on the shoulder. I turn and see Vishnal.

"Hey…" he says, grinning. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if you wanted to get some fresh air with me?" I glance over at Margaret, who giggles and nods.

"You weren't interrupting! I don't mind!" I put on my jacket and follow Vishnal outside.

"So, did you want to talk to me?" I ask him once we reach a more secluded place. He nods.

"I...I didn't know Margaret was going to invite so many friends!" He laughed.

"Yeah...me neither! I'm sorry." He looked at me.

"What're you apologizing for?" My jaw dropped.

"You mean...you aren't upset?" He shook his head.

"Why would I be? You're with me, and that's all that counts!" I blush.

"W-well...I thought you'd want it to private." I shrug. "I thought you would want us to be alone." A grin slowly spreads across his face.

"We _are_ alone!" He laughs.

"You know what I mean!" I say. I can't help but laugh too. He turns and takes a few steps toward me. I blush and take a few steps backward, but my back hits a wall. "W-why did you want to be alone with me, anyway?" Vishnal smiles and takes hold of my hand.

"So I can do this." He leans forward and kisses me, and I forget about everything else. After a long kiss, Vishnal pulls back and looks at me.

"Frey...you're so cute, you know that?"

"W-w-what?!" I stutter, blushing again. "You stopped just so you could say I'm _cute_?"

"Yep!" Vishnal smiles. I shift my gaze to the ground. "You know it's true! We're going out, yes? It's a date! I thought maybe I should show some affection for you!" I glance up at him. The smile on his face hasn't wavered. I sigh.

"M-maybe I'm just not used to making out in dark places yet! I guess I'm not ready for that kind of stuff now..." Vishnal laughs.

"I understand." He inches closer. "Maybe we should stick to holding hands for now!" I smile at him.

"I'd like that!" I reply, taking hold of his hand. He grins and squeezes my hand. I like the feel of his hand wrapped around mine. I had forgot to wear gloves, and it was pretty chilly out. But Vishnal's hands warmed up against mine.

We stay like that for a long time, holding hands in silence. It feels just as satisfying as kissing to me. Vishnal is the first one to break the silence.

"It's getting pretty late, huh?"

"Yeah...maybe we should get going soon?"

"Sure. Want me to walk you home?"

Our group finally spilt up. We each said goodnight to each other, and Vishnal walked me home.

"I guess this is it." Vishnal grins and gestures towards the apartment.

"Yeah…" I look at him. I realize he looks pretty good underneath the pale moonlight. "Um...thank you for the date. I had a great time!"

"So do I! I'm glad you were able to make it!" He quickly kisses me on the cheek. "I'll call you when I can." I nod, then he turns and walks away. I have this glowing warmth inside of me. _Oh. So THIS is love. _But that feeling was short-lived when I heard a sudden voice puncuate the silence.

"Frey? That you?" I turn, and suddenly I see Leon standing across from me, a puzzled look on his face.

_Great. Out of all people that could've been in his place… _I clear my throat and turn to him.

"What do you want?" He walks over to me. Knowing Leon, this probably won't end well.


End file.
